Detachable footwear pad



March 9, 1943.

c, MAYER ErAL 2,313,252'

DETCHABLE FOOTWEAR PAD Filed sept. 7, 1940 Big5.'

Patented Mar. 9, 1943 DETACHABLE FOOTWEAR PAD Carl Mayer and EdithMayer, Hampstead, London, England Application September 7, 1940, SerialNo. 355,844 In Great Britain December 7, 1939 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in or modifications of footwearwith detachable heel and sole pads or parts thereof and has for itsobject to provide improved means whereby a sole or heel pad may easilybe attached to or detached from a boot or shoe, while at the same timethe pad will be vapplied firmly to the boot or shoe when mounted inposition without any possibility of detachment or displacement,

According to this invention, the means for mounting a detachable heel orsole pad on footwear consists of a series of interlocking elements thecomplementary parts of which are disposed on the footwear and on thedetachable part respectively in spaced relationship around the edges anda locking element for locking the detachable pad against disconnectionfrom the footwear.

In an embodiment the interlocking means disposed around the edges of thefootwear consist of a series of hooks or headed studs formed in spacedrelationship out of a strip or plate of metal, the hooks or studsfollowing-the outline of the sole or heel and the plate being attachedto the footwear as by nails or screws, the detachable sole or heel pad,for example of rubber, having formed or moulded therein correspondingrecesses in which said hooks or headed studs can engage simultaneouslywhen the detachable pad is placed in position by sliding substantiallyin the longitudinal direction of the footwear.

In another embodiment the strip or plate of metal is dispensed with andthe hook or headed studs or other suitable elements of similar natureare secured individually in spaced relationship along the edge of thefootwear sole or heel, the detachable sole or heel pad havingcorresponding recesses as before.

The said recesses will, of course, be shaped in accordance with thenature of the elements with which they are to be interlocked and forexample in the case of hooks being employed on the foo*- wear therecesses would have the shape of small cavities sufciently deep to takethe hooks and said cavities would :be partly covered by a wall ordiaphragm formed out of the material of the detachable sole or heel pad,so as to constitute a pocket for the reception of the hook imththe saidwall or diaphragm engaging over the underside of the head of the hooks.The recesses may be lined or covered with a metal element, which may belet or moulded into the material of the detachable pad, for example, theaforesaid wall or diaphragm may be substituted by a suitably shaped andapertured `metal Washer.

In the case where the hooks or other elements are formed out of a stripof metal as aforesaid the said strip, if applied to a sole, may besuitably curved to follow the curved plane of the sole for comfort inWallking.

The locking element may consist of a screw passing through thedetachable pad and engaging Yin a female thread formed for example in ametal bush let into the sole or heel of the footwear. Any other suitablelocking means may be employed, as will be described later.

In some cases the arrangement of the interlocking elements may bereversed, the hooks or the like being disposed on the detachable pad andthe recesses or pockets on the footwear.

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described by way ofexample with refrence to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a shoe heel which has fixedthereto a rubber heel pad with the aid of connecting means constructedaccording tothe invention;

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the shoe heel with one of theinterlocking elements xed thereto;

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 1 of another embodiment;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 of the second embodiment;

Figure 5 is a plan View of a rubber heel pad adapted to be pressed uponand secured to the shoe heel illustrated in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an inverted plan view of a shoe heel showing alternativeinterlocking elements; and

Figure 7 is a perspective View of an interlocking element as used in theembodiment shown in Figure 6.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the shoe heel l has secured thereto as bynails 2 a metal plate 3 formed with five hooks 4 which are adapted toengage in corresponding pockets 5 of the rubber heel pad 6. It will beseen that each pocket is in thev form of a recess partly covered with awall or diaphragm 'I moulded integrally with the rubber heel pad, thesaid hooks 4 being adapted to engage under the walls or diaphragm 1.when the hooks are positioned in the recesses 5 and the rubber heel padis slid longitudinally with reference to the shoeheel (towards the leftin Figure 1). To prevent accidental detachment of the rubber heel padfrom the shoe heel a screw 8 is passed through registering holes in therubber heel pad S, the plate 3 and the shoe heel I and the said screwmay be tightened or loosened for removal by means of any suitableinstrument or conveniently by means of a coin which the wearer wouldnormally carry in his pocket. For firmness the aperture in the rubberheel pad 6 for taking the screw 8 may be lined with a washer 9. Theplate 3 may be secured to the shoe heel `I by means of ve nails 2 shownnear the periphery of the plate 3 in Figure 2, and additional nail holesI0 may be provided in the quired.

back position until the hooks I2 are disengaged Referring to theembodiment shown inFigures 3 to 5 the shoe heel I has again securedthereto a metal plate II which has only three hooks I2 as distinct fromthe five hooks 4 shown in Figures l and 2. The pockets 5 for receivingthe hooks I2 are similar to those shown in Figures l and 2 but in thisembodiment means are provided to dispense with a screw for preventingaccidental detachment of the rubber heel pad I3 from the shoe heel I.Such means consist of a tongue I4 pressed out of the material of theplate II, the latter being made of suitable material for this purpose,for example tempered steel plate, to provide a springy tongue. Therubber heel pad I3 has moulded therein in addition to the hook receivingpockets 5 a recess I5 in the face applied to the underface of the shoeheel as shown in Figure 5, and on the wearing face the rubber heel I3has moulded therein a slot I6 which communicates with the recess I5.When, for mounting the rubber heel pad I3, same is placed against theunderside of the shoe heel I so that the hooks I2 engage in the recessI5, the springy tongue I4 is temporarily bent back towards the shoe heeland as the rubber heel pad is slid longitudinally with reference to theshoe heel I with a view to engaging the hooks I2 under the webs 1 ofthel recess I5 and the tongue `is held in such pressed @5g A To enablethe rubber` from under the webs 1, whereupon the rubber heel pad willfall olf.

The embodiment shown in Figure 6 separate hooks I1 are provided, eachbeing mounted in the correct position for example by two nails I8. Thehook II is shown in perspective view in Figure 7. The rubber heel padshown in Figure 5 is readily applicable tothis embodiment as the springytongue I4 could advantageously be made in one piece with the centralhook II but the screw connection described with reference to theembodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 may also be employed.

We claim:

Means for mounting detachable resilient heel and sole pads on footwearhaving a non-recessed the plate.

attaching face, comprising a plate of less dimensions than the contourof the portion of the shoe to which it is attached, said plate having -apair of rearwardly extending offset hooks at one end and a singlerearwardly extending hook at the other end and disposed in alongitudinal plane extending between said pair of hooks, and also havingan integral spring locking tongue struck out from the body, said tonguepresenting a relatively wide free locking edge of the same verticaldepth as the thickness of the metal plate from which it is formed, a padhaving undercut pockets for receiving said hooks and also having arecess for receiving said tongue, one wall of said recess forming anabutment for the wide free locking edge of the said tongue, and said padhaving a slot at the location of the tongue recess to render said tongue-accessble to a tool inserted therein from the outer face of the pad toenable the said free edge of the tongue to be moved out of lockingengagement with the wall of the recess and into the space in the platecaused by its formation so that the tongue in fully unlocked positionwill lie flush between the opposite faces of the plate and permit readydisengagement of the hooks from the undercut recesses, said pad havingthe inner marginal portion of the pad flushly'engaging the portion ofthe said attaching face to conceal the edges of CARL MAYER.

EDITH MAYER. Y

